Ubisoft stock has dropped 54% this year, in part because of "softer than expected" Star Wars Outlaws sales and a substantial delay to Assassin's Creed Shadows. In the wake of those financial troubles, a new report suggests that Tencent and the Guillemot brothers are considering full buyout of the publisher to take the company private.
A new Bloomberg report citing "people familiar with the matter" suggests that "the Chinese tech company and Guillemot Brothers Ltd. have been speaking with advisers to help explore ways to stabilize Ubisoft and bolster its value, the people said, asked not to be identified discussing a private matter. One of the possibilities being discussed would involve teaming up to take the company private, according to the people."
Tencent already owns 9.2% of Ubisoft's voting rights, while the Guillemot family holds around 20.5%. Tencent also owns 49.9% of Guillemot Brothers Ltd., a company that, in turn, owns some part of the founding family's stake in Ubisoft. Representatives for Ubisoft, the Guillemots, and Tencent did not comment to Bloomberg.
Ubisoft stock is at a ten-year low, having been on a fairly steady downward trend since a major peak at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020. Share prices have dropped 54% this year, falling off precipitously beginning at the start of September when word began to circulate that Star Wars Outlaws sales were not meeting expectations. The drop completed later in the month when Ubisoft confirmed those sales rumors alongside the revelation that Assassin's Creed Shadows was being delayed.
As CNBC reports, Ubisoft stock jumped 30% in the wake of the Bloomberg story.
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